NHTSA Complaint #10608255 — 1995 MERCEDES BENZ C280

SEVERAL INTERMITTENT ISSUES RECENTLY BEGAN TO OCCUR WITH MY C280. INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO INTERMITTENTLY NOT WORK AND AS A RESULT I RAN OUT OF GAS IN SEVERAL OCCASIONS IN AREAS WHERE MY PERSONAL SAFETY WAS AT QUESTION. CAR ALSO BEGAN TO INTERMITTENTLY CEASE FROM STARTING LEAVING ME STRANDED UNTIL THE CAR WAS ABLE TO START. AFTER AN INVESTIGATION BY A CERTIFIED MERCEDES MECHANIC, THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE WIRE HARNESS WAS DEFECTIVE AND THAT THE WIRING INSULATION WAS SERIOUSLY DEGRADING. DURING THE EVALUATION THE WIRING WAS STARTING TO SMOKE AND SYSTEM SHUT DOWN DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS. IT IS VERY POSSIBLE THAT CONTINUED OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE COULD HAVE CAUSED SAFETY ISSUES TO DRIVER, PASSENGERS AND OTHERS AS UNPREDICTABLE AND SERIOUS ACTIONS COULD HAVE RESULTED FROM ENGINE WIRE HARNESS ELECTRICAL SHORTS. I AM VERY SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED THAT MERCEDES BENZ HAD NOT PROVIDED ANY WARNING OR RECALL FOR THIS CONDITION, WHICH THEY APPARENTLY ALREADY KNEW IS A COMMON DEFECT FOR THIS MODEL AND YEAR. *TR